Southern Fried Cabbage

A white bowl filled with cooked cabbage, sliced sausage, and bacon pieces on a light-colored kitchen countertop.

Southern fried cabbage is a simple comfort side made with tender cabbage, crispy bacon, and savory onions. Everything cooks together into a rich, flavorful dish that pairs well with almost any meal.

Course Side Dish, Sides

Cuisine American, International

Keyword bacon, bacon grease, cook, cornbread, fried cabbage recipe, fry cabbage, make southern, make southern fried cabbage, medium heat, onion, sausage, seasoning, side dish, skillet, smoke, smoked sausage, southern fried cabbage, southern fried cabbage recipe, vegetable

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Servings Serving

Calories 144kcal

Author Zuzana Paar

Equipment

1 Iron Skillet
1 Knife
1 Cutting Board
1 Wooden Spoon or Spatula

Ingredients

½ Piece Small Green Cabbage about 1 pound, chopped
2½ Pieces Bacon Slices cut into pieces
½ Piece Small Onion chopped
2 Tablespoons Chicken Broth
2 teaspoons Chicken Broth
½ teaspoon Salt to taste
½ teaspoon Black Pepper to taste
⅛ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
⅛ teaspoon Parsley a little chopped for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Chop the cabbage and onion, slice the bacon, chop parsley, and measure the chicken stock.
Cook bacon in a skillet 6–8 minutes until crisp, then remove and leave the drippings in the pan.
Sauté onion until soft, add cabbage, and cook 10–12 minutes until tender.
Pour in chicken stock, add salt, pepper, and smoked paprika, then cook 5–8 minutes more until flavorful and tender.
Stir the bacon back into the cabbage, adjust seasoning if needed, and top with fresh parsley before serving warm.

Notes

Do not skip the bacon drippings: The bacon grease is what gives this dish its southern flavor. Cooking the cabbage in drippings instead of oil makes a real difference in taste.
Let the cabbage sit before stirring: Give it a minute or two without stirring so the bottom can brown slightly. That is where the crispy texture comes from.
Cut the cabbage evenly: Try to dice the cabbage into similar-sized pieces so everything cooks at the same rate. Uneven cuts mean some pieces will be mushy while others are still raw.
Adjust the broth as needed: If the skillet looks too dry before the cabbage is done, add a small splash more chicken broth. You want just enough to keep things moist without making it watery.

Nutrition